Description

Polymeric blends of lignin with ethyl cellulose (EC) and cellulose acetate/butyrate (CAB) prepared by solution casting from dioxane. Fracture surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy revealed phase separation when the lignin content exceeded 10% for blends with EC and 5% in the CAB system. While this phase behavior is as predicted for the EC blends, a greater level of compatibility had been expected for the CAB blend system. Results from both differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) suggest that the observed phase separation may be a consequence of supermolecular structure development rather than immiscibility.